December 2015

November 14, 2006

Damascus, Syria.This post is devoted to The Ummayad Mosque. Not only is it the fourth holiest Islamic site for many Muslims but Ibn Battuta (deservedly) spends ten pages of his book describing its marvels.

“This is the greatest Mosque on earth in point of magnificence, the most perfect in architecture and the most exquisite in beauty, grace and consummate achievement; no rival is known, no equal to it is in existence.”

Remarkably, given war, fire and earthquake, the building today is quite similar to what he would have seen in 1326.